UPDATED 10-8-08.

The goal of the PlayHaven Green Building Project is the creation of:

1. An existing residence renovation that incorporates many high efficiency, improved indoor air quality and sustainable material features. Plus the addition of renewable energy production and a successful, self-sufficient organic farm.
   
   
2. New construction of a complex that:
   • Is energy efficient, and meets ENERGY STAR and LEED® for Homes qualifications,
   • Uses renewable energy systems,
   • Combines new technology with recycled and reclaimed products,
   • Is designed to meet the needs of the homeowners, and,
   • Promotes a sustainable lifestyle.

The PHGB Project website is available so that any interested party can:

• Follow the progress of improvements and construction,
• Get information about the energy efficiency and green building techniques used,
• Find information about the products used, and
• Learn to incorporate these feaures into their next project.

Welcome to the PlayHaven Green Building Project website!

My name is Bobbi Walker (the Owner/Designer of Intuitive Design). I have spent the last 17+ years dreaming of the day when I would be able to build an earth-friendly home. When I first started researching the possibility, there was very little available to give me hope that it could ever be accomplished... unless I was willing to do it all myself.

Over the years, hope turned into optimism and optimism has turned into joy. Now, there are:

• architects who design sustainble, net-zero energy houses,
• builders who use energy efficient construction techniques,
• contractors who have networks to build sustainably,
• energy raters who make sure it is energy efficient and works the way it should,
• financial institutions who understand that this is more than a "niche" market,
• renewable energy products that are more affordable to the average homeowner,
• products made from reclaimed and recycled materials,
• and lots and lots of information on the internet (assuming you know what the questions are).

The PlayHaven Green Building Project is the culmination of those dreams. In addition to being our home, it will be so very much more than that!

It has always been my intention to make this a showcase of products and techniques that the average homeowner could show to their contractor or builder and say "see, that's what I want in my house."

And even better yet, an example that contractors and builders can show to their clients of what kind of energy efficiency and sustainable features can be incorporated into their projects.

And even further still, a place where many options and ways of doing things can be used in a single location to show what choices there are and comparisons can be made.

This all being said, the PlayHaven Green Building Project will be available (by appointment) for physical tours; both during construction and ever after. AND, this website will provide virtual tours for anyone interested in what we're doing but who are unable to make the trip to the Kansas City MO (U.S.A.) area.

PlayHaven East is proving to be an excellent resource to showcase remodeling the green way. Which is a nice way of saying that we have discovered some problems that we were either not expecting, or not expecting to have to deal with right away.

October 2008

The chimney liner is now in place and the company comes back mid-October to apply the waterproofing sealant to the crown. They are waiting to do that so that everything will be good and "cured" to avoid dampness being trapped in the chimney. We certainly don't want to have freezing and thawing of water to ruin all the hard work of the past month!

The liner et al is guaranteed for the life of the chimney so long as we have it inspected and cleaned each year (which we will be doing anyway).

Now all we need is a load of wood and a place to put it... will keep you posted.

See pictures on the Gallery page for the chimney liner repair. (And for all the other things we've done to date.)

We've also added a fenced area to the east of the "backyard". We'll use it for the dogs to do training, to put in a kennel building with dog runs, etc. But it could also be used for livestock.

We've taken a walking tour of the area north of the house so as to get measurements for the placement of planting beds, livestock buildings and fencing. Over the winter, we'll work out how to phase in these improvements. I'm also looking into raising rabbits for meat in addition to deciding what kind of chickens to keep and what other livestock to phase in to our self-sufficient, sustainable, organic farm.